Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Hey all,Of Towers and Turrets videos start tomorrow. Then some on Friday and Saturday. All the class videos will be up for viewing in the next three days.

We have a great group of students already there and waiting but would love to have you too.

Also, Faces in Collage is still going strong. You won't believe what they are doing and I plan to have another student showcase soon.

None of that has anything to do with this picture. It is just a little project I'm working on.
Wishing you all a great season and Merry Christmas.
And thanking you all for being a part of my life.
Sharon

Sunday, December 11, 2011

I'm in full out Christmas mode this weekend. My kids and grand kids expect, want, and ask for money for Christmas. Each year, we give it but I must have fun with it and present it a little different each year. This year, I discovered The Laughing Cow Creamy Swiss Cheese. Oh my it is so yummy. But the little boxes are adorable and I just could not throw them away. Soooooooo,

.........today was the day. Here is what I did. I drew a circle around the inside lip of the opened box. This is so I could get the smallest circle.

Since I don't want the text to go all the way to the edge, I cut it out using the pencil guide but cutting it smaller. It doesn't matter if it is exact or not.

Then I used Golden Matte Medium #3530 to glue the text on the top and bottom of the box. I painted the inside of the box with Lumiere #561 Metallic Gold. It is very pretty because the inside of the box was white.

Now for the napkin. I want this circle to be larger than the box so I held the pencil next to the lid to mark the circle.

Then, I tore the napkin following the pencil line as best as I could. Again, it doesn't have to be exact.

Here is another. I think right now would be a great time to find some beautiful Christmas napkins. I happen to have this one in my huge napkin stash.

Make sure you only use the top layer of the napkin. Most napkins have three layers.

It is very important that you use Golden Matte Medium to glue the napkin down with. I'm sure something else will work but it should be very runny. Other Golden gels are too thick and don't absorb through to the top side which make them more transparent. Paint a generous layer of the medium on the box and then lay the napkin down onto it. You can't move the napkin so place it carefully. Then, with some medium on the brush, smooth the napkin out. You might even use your finger a little but the napkin begins to deteriorate quickly so work fast and then stop. Let it dry.

Notice how I let the napkin go over the edge and also notice how you can see the text through the napkin.

Today, I made four. Here they are drying. I painted on two coats of Golden Self Leveling Clear Gel. It gave them a very nice high gloss finish which is what I wanted. I might even add a third layer tomorrow.

Next, I designed a little strip label. I wish I could have been more clever but it has the recipients name on it which is really sweet.

I'm holding the label in place and showing that I brushed a layer of Lumiere #553 Brass which is very very translucent onto the label. It gave the label a beautiful gilded finish.
I haven't shown you the last step because I don't have the big bucks in the house yet. But when I'm ready to close up the gift, I will run a red thread around the groove that is left when the two box parts slide together. Then I'm going to use a glue stick to apply the label. A red thread tail is left out so the beautiful little box can be unzipped. You will see how that works when you open your Laughing Cow. So cool!
Supply List:
Laughing Cox boxes (eat the cheese)
Text page
Golden Matte Medium #3530
Napkin
Lumiere #561 Metallic Gold
Lumiere #553 Brass
$500.00 (gift) or any other small gift
Golden Self Leveling Clear Gel #3001
Label strip designed by You!

Have fun. If you make a gift box, I would love to see it so come back and leave me a comment.
♥

About Me

Me Myself and I

I love using my hands to do anything. I get lost creating. Painting faces, collage, mixed media, and altered books are my passions.

Digging in the dirt feeds my soul. Flowers are one of God's greatest creations.

I'm shy although one might not know it. I have too many opinions and can't keep them to myself.

AND THEN........

Every now and then, I just need to touch cloth. I use unwanted clothing, cast offs, remnants, unfinished works-in-progress, cloth napkins, table cloths, curtains, and my stash which is pretty extensive.

And then, I sit and stitch. And stitch. Because stitching calms and relaxes me. It quiets the chatter in my head and keeps me upright in the chair zone in the evenings. And that is The Cloth Side Of Me.